Illinois...

[Molpet]

My incubator came in today. I have cleaned and now have it up and running. It says I should be able to add the eggs in four hours. I am thinking I will add 14 eggs that way even if we get a little less than 50% hatch we should get at least six. The incubator seems to be very user friendly which should help since this is my first time hatching.View attachment 2070186View attachment 2070190

I wait a day for it to stabilize

 

[BReeder!]

My incubator came in today. I have cleaned and now have it up and running. It says I should be able to add the eggs in four hours. I am thinking I will add 14 eggs that way even if we get a little less than 50% hatch we should get at least six. The incubator seems to be very user friendly which should help since this is my first time hatching.View attachment 2070186View attachment 2070190

I want a new incubator so bad! Not sure I much more room for birds though... I sure would like to stock the freezer though. I have SO MANY duck eggs. I'm not convinced they are going to hatch them on their own. I just gave my sister 2 dozen for her baking needs (via social distancing of course). I could easily fill an incubator line this in a few days.

 

[cavemanrich]

Found this just now,,
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/free-chicken-coop.1356624/post-22375993

 

[BReeder!]

Found this just now,,
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/free-chicken-coop.1356624/post-22375993

That's the kid who I adopted two ducks from. Sad that his parents are not quite on board with keeping fowl anymore.

 

[Faraday40]

My April Fool's prank is coming along nicely.....

My little broody serama hen sat on 2 eggs and already has 7 orpington chicks. They'll grow larger than her in about 3-4 weeks.

Surprisingly all 7 are under her. I'll be adding a mama heating pad for the overflow chicks. (More will likely hatch)

 

[Molpet]

That's the kid who I adopted two ducks from. Sad that his parents are not quite on board with keeping fowl anymore.

Especially now with food shortages

 

[homeschoolin momma]

That's the kid who I adopted two ducks from. Sad that his parents are not quite on board with keeping fowl anymore

Man, I'm always looking for a good small coop!

 

[Faraday40]

Found this just now,,
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/free-chicken-coop.1356624/post-22375993

Me too!
Wish I could grab it to convert into a little chick tractor..... but it's probably gone by now.

 

[BReeder!]

I went out in the yard with DS to feed the birds and the compost pile. I found the remnants of a broken egg in one of the nest boxes. There was still food, so they weren't starving and forced to go cannibalistic. This was by choice. I went about feeding the birds and collecting just one egg (2 with the broken/eaten egg). DS let for chickens out by mistake. As we wrangled then up (yes, my 3 year old helps catch chickens), I noticed something odd about Tweedle Dee (or Dumb, both are light Brahmas and I forget who's who). Her underside was slimy. I was thinking some soft of skin infection. I had DW come out with her phone to snap a picture so I could get advice from BYC.

That's when I noticed died up yolk on Tweedle's beak.

She ate the egg! And she got it all over her chest and belly, matting her feathers.
So I brought her in and washed her up. Now she's drying in the bathtub where she can stay warm until she's su and fluffed again.

The upside is I was able to do a thorough examination of this Tweedle in the process of bathing her. Plenty of dirt specks from dust bathing, but no signs of mites, fleas etc.

 

[Molpet]

I went out in the yard with DS to feed the birds and the compost pile. I found the remnants of a broken egg in one of the nest boxes. There was still food, so they weren't starving and forced to go cannibalistic. This was by choice. I went about feeding the birds and collecting just one egg (2 with the broken/eaten egg). DS let for chickens out by mistake. As we wrangled then up (yes, my 3 year old helps catch chickens), I noticed something odd about Tweedle Dee (or Dumb, both are light Brahmas and I forget who's who). Her underside was slimy. I was thinking some soft of skin infection. I had DW come out with her phone to snap a picture so I could get advice from BYC.
View attachment 2071689
That's when I noticed died up yolk on Tweedle's beak.
View attachment 2071691View attachment 2071694
She ate the egg! And she got it all over her chest and belly, matting her feathers.
So I brought her in and washed her up. Now she's drying in the bathtub where she can stay warm until she's su and fluffed again.
View attachment 2071699View attachment 2071700

The upside is I was able to do a thorough examination of this Tweedle in the process of bathing her. Plenty of dirt specks from dust bathing, but no signs of mites, fleas etc.

looks like the egg broke under her and she tried to clean up the nest
it's instinct to clean up broken eggs so it doesn't attract predators and doesn't mean they are egg eaters.
they usually tap an egg to make sure it's strong and if it breaks they clean it up